Adrienne Lucas

Professsor and Department Chair of Economics, University of Delaware | Research Associate, NBER

Research Expertise

Development/Education/Health Economist
Public Administration
Sociology and Political Science
Economics and Econometrics
Development
Management of Technology and Innovation
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
Strategy and Management
Education
Microbiology (medical)
Immunology
Immunology and Allergy
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Health Policy
Geography, Planning and Development

About

Adrienne Lucas is a professor of economics in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware, a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a faculty affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), non-resident fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD) and a research network member of Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA). She is a development economist specializing in the economics of education and disease. Her current research focuses on the importance of information in school choice decisions, using existing school system personnel and resources to increase student learning, and external validity across contexts. Lucas has published research on malaria, free primary education, HIV/AIDS, secondary school choice, the return to school quality, teacher incentives and improving early primary school literacy. Prior to joining the University of Delaware, she was an assistant professor of economics at Wellesley College. She received her Ph.D. and A.M. in economics from Brown University and her B.A. in economics from Wesleyan University. Watch Professor Lucas explain her work on the [intergenerational effects of HIV](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBN9zwltOYQ), [improving student learning in existing schooling systems](https://vimeo.com/444330814) and the importance of [school leaders](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSZNzRoS-Ms).

Publications

Malaria Eradication and Educational Attainment: Evidence from Paraguay and Sri Lanka

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics / Apr 01, 2010

Lucas, A. M. (2010). Malaria Eradication and Educational Attainment: Evidence from Paraguay and Sri Lanka. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2(2), 46–71. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.2.2.46

Access, Sorting, and Achievement: The Short-Run Effects of Free Primary Education in Kenya

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics / Oct 01, 2012

Lucas, A. M., & Mbiti, I. M. (2012). Access, Sorting, and Achievement: The Short-Run Effects of Free Primary Education in Kenya. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 4(4), 226–253. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.4.4.226

Effects of School Quality on Student Achievement: Discontinuity Evidence from Kenya

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics / Jul 01, 2014

Lucas, A. M., & Mbiti, I. M. (2014). Effects of School Quality on Student Achievement: Discontinuity Evidence from Kenya. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 6(3), 234–263. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.6.3.234

IMPROVING EARLY-GRADE LITERACY IN EAST AFRICA: EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE FROM KENYA AND UGANDA

Journal of Policy Analysis and Management / Jul 09, 2014

Lucas, A. M., McEwan, P. J., Ngware, M., & Oketch, M. (2014). IMPROVING EARLY-GRADE LITERACY IN EAST AFRICA: EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE FROM KENYA AND UGANDA. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 33(4), 950–976. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.21782

The Impact of Malaria Eradication on Fertility

Economic Development and Cultural Change / Apr 01, 2013

Lucas, A. M. (2013). The Impact of Malaria Eradication on Fertility. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 61(3), 607–631. https://doi.org/10.1086/669261

Does Free Primary Education Narrow Gender Differences in Schooling? Evidence from Kenya

Journal of African Economies / Sep 21, 2012

Lucas, A. M., & Mbiti, I. M. (2012). Does Free Primary Education Narrow Gender Differences in Schooling? Evidence from Kenya. Journal of African Economies, 21(5), 691–722. https://doi.org/10.1093/jae/ejs021

Educator Incentives and Educational Triage in Rural Primary Schools

Journal of Human Resources / Dec 06, 2019

Gilligan, D. O., Karachiwalla, N., Kasirye, I., Lucas, A. M., & Neal, D. (2019). Educator Incentives and Educational Triage in Rural Primary Schools. Journal of Human Resources, 57(1), 79–111. https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.57.1.1118-9871r2

Engaging Teachers with Technology Increased Achievement, Bypassing Teachers Did Not

American Economic Journal: Economic Policy / May 01, 2022

Beg, S., Halim, W., Lucas, A. M., & Saif, U. (2022). Engaging Teachers with Technology Increased Achievement, Bypassing Teachers Did Not. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 14(2), 61–90. https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.20200713

Experimental Evidence on Alternative Policies to Increase Learning at Scale

Jun 01, 2020

Duflo, A., Kiessel, J., & Lucas, A. (2020). Experimental Evidence on Alternative Policies to Increase Learning at Scale. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27298

The Determinants and Consequences of School Choice Errors in Kenya

American Economic Review / May 01, 2012

Lucas, A. M., & Mbiti, I. M. (2012). The Determinants and Consequences of School Choice Errors in Kenya. American Economic Review, 102(3), 283–288. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.102.3.283

The Importance of Information Targeting for School Choice

American Economic Review / May 01, 2017

Ajayi, K. F., Friedman, W. H., & Lucas, A. M. (2017). The Importance of Information Targeting for School Choice. American Economic Review, 107(5), 638–643. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.p20171131

Adult Antiretroviral Therapy and Child Health: Evidence from Scale-up in Zambia

American Economic Review / May 01, 2013

Lucas, A. M., & Wilson, N. L. (2013). Adult Antiretroviral Therapy and Child Health: Evidence from Scale-up in Zambia. American Economic Review, 103(3), 456–461. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.103.3.456

Schooling, Wealth, Risky Sexual Behaviour, and HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Journal of Development Studies / Jul 16, 2018

Lucas, A. M., & Wilson, N. L. (2018). Schooling, Wealth, Risky Sexual Behaviour, and HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Journal of Development Studies, 55(10), 2177–2192. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2018.1493195

When Information is Not Enough: Evidence from a Centralized School Choice System

Oct 01, 2020

Ajayi, K., Friedman, W., & Lucas, A. (2020). When Information is Not Enough: Evidence from a Centralized School Choice System. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27887

Effects of adult health interventions at scale on children’s schooling: Evidence from antiretroviral therapy in Zambia

Economics of Education Review / Oct 01, 2019

Lucas, A. M., Chidothe, M., & Wilson, N. L. (2019). Effects of adult health interventions at scale on children’s schooling: Evidence from antiretroviral therapy in Zambia. Economics of Education Review, 72, 107–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.04.006

Health knowledge and non-pharmaceutical interventions during the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization / Oct 01, 2021

Fitzpatrick, A., Beg, S., Derksen, L., Karing, A., Kerwin, J., Lucas, A. M., Ordaz Reynoso, N., & Squires, M. (2021). Health knowledge and non-pharmaceutical interventions during the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 190, 33–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2021.06.045

Gender Bias in Assessments of Teacher Performance

AEA Papers and Proceedings / May 01, 2021

Beg, S., Fitzpatrick, A., & Lucas, A. M. (2021). Gender Bias in Assessments of Teacher Performance. AEA Papers and Proceedings, 111, 190–195. https://doi.org/10.1257/pandp.20211126

Can At-Scale Drug Provision Improve the Health of the Targeted in Sub-Saharan Africa?

American Journal of Health Economics / Aug 01, 2018

Lucas, A. M., & Wilson, N. L. (2018). Can At-Scale Drug Provision Improve the Health of the Targeted in Sub-Saharan Africa? American Journal of Health Economics, 4(3), 358–382. https://doi.org/10.1162/ajhe_a_00105

New Trends in Improving Public Service Delivery in Ukraine

Scientific Bulletin of Mukachevo State University. Series «Economics» / Sep 09, 2021

Slobodeniuk, T. O. (2021). New Trends in Improving Public Service Delivery in Ukraine. Scientific Bulletin of Mukachevo State University Series “Economics,” 8(3), 75–83. Internet Archive. https://doi.org/10.52566/msu-econ.8(3).2021.75-83

Does Television Kill Your Sex Life? Microeconometric Evidence from 80 Countries

Aug 01, 2018

Lucas, A., & Wilson, N. (2018). Does Television Kill Your Sex Life? Microeconometric Evidence from 80 Countries. https://doi.org/10.3386/w24882

Health Knowledge and Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa

Jan 01, 2021

Fitzpatrick, A., Beg, S., Derksen, L., Karing, A., Kerwin, J., Lucas, A., Reynoso, N. O., & Squires, M. (2021). Health Knowledge and Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa. https://doi.org/10.3386/w28316

Strengthening Teacher Accountability to Reach All Students (STARS)

AEA Randomized Controlled Trials / Mar 07, 2019

Beg, S. (2019). Strengthening Teacher Accountability to Reach All Students (STARS). AEA Randomized Controlled Trials. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.3977

Targeted Teaching to Improve Learning in Secondary School

AEA Randomized Controlled Trials / Dec 29, 2019

Kerwin, J., Chowdhury, A., Fitzpatrick, A., Beg, S., Rahman, K. W., & Das, S. (2019). Targeted Teaching to Improve Learning in Secondary School. AEA Randomized Controlled Trials. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.4138-1.0

Facilitating real-time cost collection and evaluating cost-effectiveness in a multi-armed study with government partners in Ghana

Journal of Development Effectiveness / Jan 25, 2022

Hirji, S., Park, B., Tsinigo, E., Beg, S., Fitzpatrick, A., & Lucas, A. (2022). Facilitating real-time cost collection and evaluating cost-effectiveness in a multi-armed study with government partners in Ghana. Journal of Development Effectiveness, 15(1), 31–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/19439342.2021.2024589

Education

Brown University

Ph.D., Economics / 2006

Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America

Wesleyan University

BA, Economics / 1998

Middletown, Connecticut, United States of America

Experience

University of Delaware

Professor of Economics / 2011Present

Wellesley College

Assistant Professor of Economics / 20062013

(reappointed 2009, leave of absence 2011 – 2013)

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